Dark Hunters: Return of the Dark Mark
by DiezeL
Summary: AU. Hermione Granger leads a team of Aurors whose main goal is to counter this new darkness that’s rising. A new Auror from Hogwarts arrives and is assigned to Hermione’s team. His name is Harry Potter.
1. The Looming Darkness

**AN:** This is a rewrite of the first chapter for Dark Hunters. After going through so many edits, I was finally satisfied with this opening chapter. Feel free to leave cheers and (valid) jeers. Thanks to the Fidge E Ferret for beta-reading.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. It belongs to JKR. No cent is being made from this exercise.

**Dark Hunters: Return of the Dark Mark**

**Chapter 1 – Looming Darkness**

The wind blew chillier in the somber night. The half-moon shone down with pale hue through fleeting clouds, while in the distance dogs howled their loneliness somberly. It was quite late, although there were people still milling about in the streets of slummy London.

Draco Malfoy took a slight puff from his cigarette while his other hand played with a marble inside a pocket of his tattered overcoat. From the shadows, he lazily observed the fidgety man across the street from him. The man was currently conversing with several tatterdemalion characters of like. On occasion, if the conversations went well, some Galleons and small vials were exchanged discretely.

Draco had been following the man for almost an hour now. Sometimes his peddled appearance could be seen, other times completely hidden. He didn't really care. He figured that tonight's guise was appropriate enough for this assignment.

"Got a light for me, mate?"

Draco blinked and bit back a curse as an elder, haggardly-dressed man walked up to his leaning frame. He had been too occupied with keeping an eye on his target that he forgot about the bum that was loitering nearby the street corner just a minute ago. He recomposed himself and took his cigarette from his mouth, offering the light. "Yeah, sure," he said in a disinterested tone.

The unshaven man took out a half-smoked cigarette from his tattered-up coat and got it lit. "You new around here?"

Draco maintained his eyes across the street. "Yeah, I used to frequent Croydon before moving here. Less cops around here," he said gruffly.

"Aye, Croydon… I used to know someone from here," the man coughed up after several minutes. "You know… before ending up in this hell hole."

Draco quelled the annoyance that was starting to rise from within. Even though the man's conversation was good cover, Draco wasn't in a particular mood to talk with him. Regardless of his fall from higher stature he still disliked associating with commoners, much less London's vagrants. He straightened up form his leaning position against a wall. "Right, well, nothing we can do," he drawled out as a chilly gust of wind flew by. He tightened his coat, tossed his cigarette, and turned to walk away from his new found 'friend'.

"Leaving already? The night's just starting, mate."

Draco turned his head slightly. "Sorry, old man. I'm not feeling up to socializing right now."

"All business and no play," the old man started, "…you Aurors sure are a boring lot."

"Shit!" Draco wheeled around, right hand reaching for his wand.

But he was too late.

"Expelliarmus!"

The blond undercover Auror recoiled as his wand flew out from his hand. He lunged sideways to barely avoid the stunner that came after.

"Feel like playing now, chum?" the man taunted. "Or you could just be a good boy and stay still." He raised his wand.

Draco scrambled up and took out a flask from behind. "Don't think you've got me cornered just yet," he said before he hurtled the flask at his attacker. The vial broke at the other man's feet and soon a thick greenish smoke rose from the ground. His attacker pulled a hand over by his face and he backed away, cursing. Draco lunged sideways to avoid the random stunners flying toward him.

"Accio wand!"

Draco's wand flew back to his hand and he quickly rolled over on his back to face opponent. "Stupefy!" he belted out. The elder man flew back against a wall and fell among a pile of garbage. Draco quickly got up and headed for him, his wand still drawn out.

"Smith! Get out of here!" the man called out loudly to the fidgety man across the street. "There are Aurors around!"

"Dammit!" Draco gritted his teeth as he turned around to chase after 'Smith' before he had a chance to get away altogether. He didn't get very far as he felt someone lunged for his legs.

"You and I aren't done playing yet, boy!" the man yelled. He got up and landed a punch against Draco's left side. "We aren't done by a long shot."

-■-■-■-■-

"Neville, he's on the move!" a tall, hooded figure whispered to his left hand as he watched his target ahead of him from behind a corner. "I can't see Malfoy and someone just yelled for Smith to make a run for it!"

"I'm not sure what's going on," a voice crackled faintly in response from the marble that Ronald Weasley held. "His comlink just went off. Are you ready yet with those barriers? You can't let Smith Apparate out of there!"

"I know that!" Ron Weasley shot back. "I've just finished with the barriers. None of these buyers will be able to get out." He ran around one corner, trying to get to where Draco's last known location would be. "Something must have happened to that git! I'm going to dead air now, Neville."

"Copy that. Keep your comlink live in stasis mode. I can keep tracking you that way," said Neville. "I think I've figured out which path Smith will take. I'm sending the data to your handparch now."

"All right." Ron stopped. He slipped his right hand inside his cloak and retrieved a small, 3 x 5 inch stiff piece of parchment. After whispering "Revalo Datum" a three dimensional image rose from the paper. It was a miniscule scale of the area that he was in right now, down to the small cat that scampered out of a hole just behind him. The image before him detailed the path that Neville calculated. "Did you send the same information to the others?"

"Yes, just now. As you can see, Hermione's about five blocks northwest of your location."

Ron's eyes wandered over on the image. "I don't see Malfoy."

Several seconds passed before Neville's voice cracked through again. "His last known location was about fifty meters west of your current location. Hold on a second." Ron waited as he watched the dot labeled 'Smith' wander through the streets. Finally, Neville's voice came back again. "Malfoy, can you hear me? You're a little bit closer to our target. Ron's closest to you and–"

"I got ambushed," an irritated voice buzzed through. "Some bloke jumped me and warned Smith."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Bullshit. Did you let your guard down? He's–"

"Shove it, Weasel," Draco hissed back. "I don't have the time to listen to you. I'm not letting Smith get away!" Ron heard the Draco's comlink go off.

Ron bit back a curse. "I'm going to head off now, Neville. We might as well give that stupid bloke the backup that he'll definitely need."

"All right. I've just sent Hermione the data and I'll fill her in. Take care, Ron," said Neville.

-■-■-■-■-

"…And that's the gist of it. It seems that he's taken care of the backup, but I can't say that he didn't get hurt," Neville reported over the comlink.

The cloaked figure let out an exasperated sigh and clenched the comlink marble a little too tightly. "Thanks. I'll take it from here."

Hermione Granger shut her comlink off and slipped it back inside her cloak. She took one last glance at her handparch before reciting the spell to turn it off. She then glanced around her and trained her eyes on the abandoned structure about three buildings east of her current position. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and soon her whole body dissipated into thin air, a crackling sound evidencing her former presence.

She reappeared on top of the roof of the building she trained her eyes on, her brown, unbound hair bristling slightly in the mild gust wind. She took a deep breath as she fought off a dizzy lapse and refocused her senses on her new location. Apparating wasn't a difficult spell for her, but it seems that lately there's something else in the air that made spell casting a little more difficult in London.

Hermione reached inside her cloak and grabbed the green amulet that hung around her neck. Soon, the dizzy spell that bothered her went away. She held her right underarm in front of her and traced her left pointer finger over the brace that covered her arm. A holster holding a metallic wand materialized and slid out to her right hand.

Wand equipped, she now took the time to carefully scrutinize her location. If her assumptions were correct, which usually were, the target would try to escape on foot now, Draco in pursuit. Ron would be concentrating on maintaining magical barriers to prevent the rest of the targets from escaping the perimeters outlined by Neville. Neville then would call for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's Retrieval Unit. And she would patiently wait on the rooftop for the target to come her way.

Hermione didn't have to wait long. The target was now scrambling wildly by the alley, looking over his shoulder every couple of seconds. She took out her handparch, noted that Draco was still about three blocks away, Ron not too far behind him. She ambled over the edge of the northern side of the roof and looked over.

Their target was a Death Soldier. He was suspected of murdering an off duty Auror from another cell several weeks ago and also considered the main seller for a magic-amplifying drug in this slummy part of London. She also believed that this Death Soldier belonged to the cell commandeered by Death Eater Anton Doholov.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as the Death Soldier stopped at a dead end. He took a quick look around before dissipating into thin air with an almost inaudible crack. She cursed as she finally recognized the faint magic traces of Apparating. She quickly reached inside her robes as she ran along the edge of the rooftop. She took out a glass flask and threw it at the location that Death Soldier disappeared from, hoping that she wasn't too late.

The flask broke and wisp of green smoke flared in the air, creating a trail upward. She speedily darted off the edge of the rooftop and jumped down to another, pausing only to wince as her boots absorbed the impact. She pushed the trails of her cloak behind her as she ran after the wispy green material moving ahead. It was in times like these that she wished she had mastered skill with the broom. She hated running and Apparating was out of the question at the moment.

After leaping over several more buildings, the fleeing figure of her target was finally discernable in the darkness of the unhelpful night. She quickly slid the metallic wand by her hip holster and took out a wooden wand. She held it in front of her and aimed.

"_Lancea!_" she belted. A bright yellow line shot out from her wand which soon took the shape of a thin spear. It sped through the air and hit the Death Soldier square on the back. He screamed in pain as he lurched forward and fell from the roof ledge that he was going to leap from. She reached the ledge that he fell from and peered over. It seemed that the spell wasn't enough to incapacitate her prey as he struggled to get up.

'Better end this now,' Hermione thought to herself as she reached for the metallic wand once again by her hip holster. Muttering a levitating charm, she walked off the ledge and levitated down toward the Death Soldier.

He scrambled around the darkened alley, seemingly looking for his wand. He finally took notice of her presence and lunged at her clumsily. She easily sidestepped the attempt and raised her wand arm once again.

The Death Soldier fumbled backward away from her. "You! You'll nev–"

"_Orbo Luciferum!_" she cut him off. The tip of the metallic wand glowed and a green light shot out.

The spell hit the Death Soldier in the middle of his chest. Instantly, he gagged and grasped painfully by his torso. "No… I–"

Two more shots hit him and soon he was writhing on the ground. Seconds later, he lay unmoving, his eyes open and his face pale under the uncaring moonlight.

Hermione walked over by the Death Soldier and gave him the once over. She slipped a hand inside her cloak and took out her comlink marble. "Neville?"

"Got him?" Neville's voice came through.

She gave the unmoving figure a nudge with her right foot. "Yeah. Give the Retrieval Unit my coordinates. This one's ready for pickup."

"Okay. Had any troubles?"

She looked at the metallic wand she held in her hand. "None. Tell Vodim though that I had to fire three."

"Three tonight?" Neville paused. "Got it. Ron and Malfoy will be by you shortly. Remind Ron to remove the barriers."

"Okay."

"See you later at headquarters."

"Will do."

**-■-■-TBC-■-■-**

UL: 11/30/2005


	2. The Recruit

**AN2:** Here's chapter two after many revisions and changes. Feel free to leave cheers and helpful jeers.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. It belongs to JKR. No cent is being made from this exercise.

**Dark Hunters: Return of the Dark Mark**

**Chapter 2 – The Recruit**

The dark-haired man pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked out the cab window. He knew he was nearing his destination, a new place he'd have to call 'home' for who knows how long. Uncertainty etched on his face, he pondered once again Albus Dumbledore's decision to send him here.

The cab came to a stop in front of a Victorian-like structure. Dark brick red walls exuded an air of mystery and superiority over its surroundings. The roof, made of black singles, flew off at certain sections. Some windows were adorned with iron bars, giving off a prison-like atmosphere. Others were tinted dark shades that imposed the structure's predilection for privacy from unwelcome eyes. The neatly trimmed lawn, which stretched about a hundred meters from the property entrance, was dull and unwelcoming. To separate itself from the outside world, black iron gates surrounded the complex, standing at about fifteen feet from the ground. The building, ancient in its facade, felt out of place with its overly imposing appearance.

After looking over the area, he glanced at the paper on his hand to confirm his destination's address after he got out of his cab. "So this is Grimmauld Place."

Without wasting another moment, he picked up his duffel bag and pushed open the iron gates.

-■-■-■-■-

Hermione looked down on the office below her through the glass window panels that lined as walls in her superior's office. Below, she saw Draco sitting on a chair and getting reprimanded for his rash actions last night by Alastor Moody, supervising chief of the Auror Assault unit in the London Headquarters.

"You did an excellent job last night, Granger," a deep voice from behind her said. "Malfoy, on the other hand, still needs to learn to rein in that… enthusiasm."

Hermione turned and faced Lleod Vodim who sat on his desk chair, smoking a cigar. He had a long face, grey eyes that were sharp, and his slicked-back black hair was tinged with gray at the edges. A short beard framed his mouth and small wrinkles hinted by his forehead. "Draco's good but a bit rash at times. I think that's still mostly his arrogance but I know I can count on him to listen when push comes to shove."

"Really?" Vodim puffed out a cloud of smoke as he took his cigar from his mouth. "You put a lot of faith on your team."

"Yes, I do."

Vodim flicked his cigar on the ashtray. "Well, I'll leave it at that." A small smile formed on his lips as he opened a drawer and took out a file. "It seems that we're finally getting a replacement for your last partner. You've got a new addition to your team."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "A replacement? For Connor?"

Vodim tossed the file onto the desk, the folder's front lap open. "Yes. Harry Potter. Seems quite experienced in the field. Up until now, he's been working under Dumbledore. I'm sure you've heard of him."

The brown-haired agent took a step forward and glanced the open file. She scanned the front page for Potter's basic information. No photos of him were attached. "I've heard of him, yes. Very little, though. Mostly information on some operations he's been involved with. He works international operations primarily, right?"

"Yes." Vodim watched Hermione carefully. "But starting today, he'll be calling London his base for an indefinite amount of time. He's supposed to arrive sometime this afternoon. I suggest you two get acquainted as soon as possible. You might need his assistance on the field sooner than you think."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually about last night's case. It seems that our Death Soldier had a partner. He was supposed to have met up with his accomplice in the area but was spooked by last night's bust. Compared to last night's wizard, this accomplice is deemed to be more experienced in the use of the craft." Vodim spun his Viewing Pane and showed Hermione the other wizard's profile. "We just received intelligence on his frequent locales… one of the warehouses by the West India Docks. Longbottom has the information now and is developing tactical analysis. We'll have a meeting later to formulate our plans. Our next raid might finally get us Doholov."

"Understood." Hermione gave the Viewing Pane another once-over briefly then turned to leave the office without another word.

Vodim leaned back on his chair and took in another whiff from his cigar. He glanced down at the folder that lay on his desk once more before turning his chair to face the windows behind him.

-■-■-■-■-

Seamus Finnegan tapped his fingers impatiently by the fireplace as he waited for someone from the fifth level to acknowledge his summons. He despised guard duties in the first level since it included having to perform receptionist tasks which he always felt awkward with. Right now, the dark-haired man's intent stare at him made feel really uncomfortable and he wanted to be rid of him as soon as possible. He felt like those green eyes looked through him, exposing his fears and all his secrets. Finally, Dean Thomas' face appeared in the fire.

"I've got someone here who says he's supposed to meet with Hermione Granger, Dean. Can you get her for me?"

"I'm sorry, Seamus. She's at a meeting right now, most likely about the next assignment so it could take awhile. What does he want?" Dean asked nonchalantly.

"The only thing he's caring to tell me is that he's got Auror business with Hermione. If she can't come right now, I'll have to send him off somewhere else in the meantime. He can't wait here long. He makes me a bit antsy, you know?"

Dean shrugged. "Do whatever you want. I'll tell Hermione later if I catch her after the meeting. Otherwise, talk to Moody."

The heavy entrance doors behind Seamus suddenly opened. Luna Lovegood came through, her blond hair untied and getting tousled as she hurried inside. Her hurried manner was stopped for a moment as she laid eyes on the dark-haired man waiting by Seamus. The man directed his gaze at her.

Tall with a slight build, the man had slightly unkempt hair and a thin scar by this right temple. His slightly pale face bore an unreadable expression but Luna suspected that he was carefully reading her through those green eyes. Stare not too intense, his green eyes held her gaze, unashamed.

"Luna?"

Luna blinked and turned to Seamus. "Hm?"

"You're on your way up, right? I've told Dean already but I'm sure he'll forget. Can you tell Hermione about this fellow here? His name's Harry Potter. He's here on Auror business, he says," explained Seamus.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "All right. We have a meeting soon but I'll try to see if Hermione will see him soon after." She walked up to the double brass doors at the end of the hallway and to a square panel with a palm mold and a small hole by the middle. She then took out her wand and slid it inside the hole, disappearing. After that, she palmed her right hand over the mold. The double doors opened with a hiss to allow her entrance. As soon as she crossed over, the same doors closed swiftly, further preventing any other entrance.

Seamus sighed and turned to face the newcomer again. "Look, the meeting might be awhile. Is there someplace that you want to go to first? Drop off your luggage and all?"

The man gave Seamus an odd look then finally stood up. "The Dog Star Café isn't far from here, is it?"

"Actually, it's just about fifteen minutes walk north of here," Seamus explained. "It'd be open now and Sirius, the patron, will be there."

"I'll come back later." The man picked up his duffel and left without another word.

-■-■-■-■-

When the front door swung open and the bells tinged, Sirius didn't bother turning around behind the counter. He just bent over underneath the bar and reached for his pad and menu, guessing that he's got a late lunch customer on this darkening afternoon. "I'll be with you in a sec," he said as he reached for a pitcher of water.

"I'd like some rum on the rocks," the newcomer simply said.

Sirius smiled and shook his head. An early drinker then, he thought to himself. He reached for a glass, some ice, and a bottle of rum. He turned around to slide the drink the bar. "Here you g–sweet Merlin!" he started as he saw his customer's face.

The customer picked up his drink and took a small swig. "It's nice to see you again after three years, Sirius."

Sirius blinked and caught himself. "Harry? You've… What are you doing here?"

Harry took another sip. "The Order sent me here. I'll be working at Grimmauld starting today. Don't look so surprised, Sirius."

Sirius walked up to him. "I… You're right. I just wasn't told by Dumbledore that you were coming."

"You look well. How's retirement treating you?" Harry straightened up in his seat as he glanced around the café. "Not a whole lot of customers save for myself right now."

"Come six, they start coming in for drinks and some dinner. It's not bad, you know."

"Miss working in the field?"

Sirius heaved a sigh. "Sometimes, but my priorities have changed. I can definitely live without the hoopla." He filled up Harry's glass again. "Since you're here, I gather that the campaign against Voldermort has moved back again to London."

"More or less."

Sirius looked at Harry and wondered if he was going to say more on the matter. Harry didn't. "So, have you stopped by Grimmauld already?"

Harry nodded. "Nice what they've done to the place. I haven't seen Grimmauld in what? Ten years?"

Sirius smiled. "Right about, yeah. Have you met Leo? Or your new partner?"

"No. I got as far as the lobby, I'm afraid." Harry set his drink down. "Seamus, the man up front, said that Granger was at a meeting and couldn't come down to meet me."

The bearded man frowned. "That's odd. You did give him your name, right?"

Harry shook his head. "He didn't ask. I didn't say."

"Harry, if you'd just given him your na–"

"It's all right, Sirius," Harry cut him off. "I don't need to be recognized for my name."

"But Dumble–"

"It's fine."

Sirius sighed. "All right. So you're going to go back there later, right? You will, even if I have to hex and drag you there."

Harry flashed him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course. London is where Dumbledore wants me to be. And working in Grimmauld."

Sirius gave him a doubting look. "I don't figure you've got a place to stay yet. I've got some rooms upstairs. You can stay in one of them for as long as you'd like. You won't be too far from Grimmauld this way."

"Thanks." Harry stood up. "Mind if I tuck in for now then? I've had a long trip and a kip sounds swell right about now."

"Feel free. I'll wake you up in an hour so you can drag yourself back to Grimmauld. Go upstairs and take the room that's to the farthest left, all right?" Sirius pointed to the stairs.

"It's nice seeing you again, Sirius. We've got some catching up to do, _Godfather_," said Harry smirking.

"Drop it with the formalities. You make me sound like a thug. Go on now," Sirius ordered. "We've got some catching up to do later!"

-■-■-■-■-

Two hours Later…

Harry woke up feeling refreshed. He frowned at the clock though upon seeing the time. He left his room and went downstairs to the café, slightly disturbed to find that it was empty and dark. "Sirius?"

He trudged on to the bar and found a note addressed to him.

_Harry,_

_I've had to leave to run some errands. I was going to wake you up but thought the better of it. I don't think you'd sleep in for more than three hours at most anyway. I'll be back later. In the meantime, feel free to help yourself to whatever you might find in the bar and the refrigerator. Just lay off the bottle of Rumplestilskin's Vodka 501. That stuff's expensive and should be saved for special occasions._

_Sincerely,_

_Sirius_

Harry chuckled and shook his head. He'd have to remember to have some of that Vodka 501. In the meantime, he searched around in the refrigerator and found himself a corned-beef sandwich to eat. He also grabbed himself a small bottle of Firewhiskey and sat himself at the end of the bar, eating in silence. Outside the bar, rain spattered noisily against the glass windows, rumble thundered faintly behind.

**-■-■-TBC-■-■-**

UL: 11/30/2005


	3. Meeting In Motion

**AN3: **Here's the third installment. Enjoy and leave some cheers or jeers if the urge overcomes you to do so.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. It belongs to JKR. No cent is being made from this exercise.

**Dark Hunters: Return of the Dark Mark**

**Chapter 3 – Meeting in Motion**

Hermione walked up to Draco who was busy shuffling through papers on his desk. "Still sukling?"

Draco made a noise. "He's on about that everyday, you know? Doesn't miss an opportunity to get on my case, does he?"

"Well, you ought to curb some of your more… louder… activities with magic use anyway. Remember that there were Muggles lurking about last night too, Draco."

Draco grunted. "What good is magic if you can't use it as you please?"

Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "Keep talking like that and you might end up like a hunted."

"Keep talking like that and I might start to think you actually cared about my well being."

"Hey!" Ron called out to them from the conference room. "Neville's all set up in here. We can have the briefing now. I've already told Commander Vodim and Moody!"

"We'll be there in a moment, Ron," Hermione said. She turned to Draco again. "Get a move on and bring those files with you. You don't want Moody badgering you again, do you?"

"All right, all right," said the blond agent as he stood up. "Sometimes I think you're worse than my mother with pestering me."

Hermione frowned as she followed after Draco. "You know I could do worse."

-■-■-■-■-

"Last night's wizard, despite of the trouble he caused, was just a Class A," explained Neville to the Aurors seated on the rectangular table before him. He waved his hand over his Viewing Pane and the screen to his back changed to show a profile picture of last night's target wizard. "Peter Henchley doesn't even come close to Class B classifications, yet he was able to make use of considerable amounts of powerful magic. Forensic investigation revealed that this was caused by an unusual drug present in his system."

Hermione made a sound. "Drug? Are you saying he ingested a magic amplifier?'

Neville shook his head. "Not ingested. Injected. The Magical Examiner informed me of some faint puncture wounds found behind Henchley's neck. Closer examination revealed it as the point of likeliest origin for drug traces."

Alastor Moody spoke up. "We need to have a sample sent off to Severus Snape then."

"Already ahead of you. As soon as a substantial sample was acquired, it was immediately sent off to Severus Snape," said Neville. "I received a message by Floo that he will have content results by tomorrow at the earliest."

"How does this affect our operations until we get results?" asked Draco.

"It doesn't," said Leo who sat at the head of the table. "For now, we operate as have been doing. Regardless of that drug's effects, we still have the use of Orb magic."

"Commander," said Luna, "I just came back from the operations facility by Surrey last night. Intelligence indicates that our primary target will be in London tonight."

Leo faced her. "Yes, I saw the data this morning and I gave Granger a small briefing about it." He took out several blank parchments and started handing them out to the Aurors. As soon as they touched the parchments, operation data appeared before them. "We're going to the West India Docks tonight."

Dean looked the parchment over. "The warehouses?"

"Three warehouses, to be exact," said Leo. "And considering the revelations from our operation last night, we will be welcomed by drug-amplified Death Soldiers."

Ron turned to Neville. "Neville, do you have some idea of how powerful that drug can make them? I'm guessing you did your own preliminary testing on some of the sample?"

"I can only guess that it amplifies their magic at least three times. Hermione told me last night that she fired three before she completely subdued Henchley."

The ramifications of the estimate were not lost on the people in the room.

"I was the only one who was authorized to equip the _Ferrium _wand last night," Hermione said after several minutes. "We got lucky then."

"If that was the case… If it amplifies their magic at least three times, would we have enough _Orbos_ to take them down?" asked Draco. "We would also need to get equipped with the _Ferrium_ wands."

"We just received a fresh supply of _Orbos_ from the North this past weekend," said Leo. "I've already instructed Severus to synthesize the potions for absorption into the wands. All of you will be working with a _Ferrium_ wand tonight. Keep in mind, however, that the casting of the _Luciferum_ will be limited to a maximum of five. The wands still aren't stable enough to hold more than that. "

"So three warehouses, huh? How long has our mole been working there?" asked Ron. "What other information do we have?"

"He was working there long enough." Neville waved his hand over his Viewing Pane again. A map of the warehouse district showed up behind him on the main viewing screen. Neville then tapped his screen three times at which several areas became distinct and highlighted. "This area you see here has three warehouses listed under the name of Lawrence Wickstrom. Further investigation has revealed that no such person exists. Also, it was indicated on shipping and lease reports that these warehouses were being used to house raw materials for construction projects. The DMLE agent found out, however, that there have been neither actual deliveries nor pickups taking place in these warehouses."

Hermione looked over the information in the Viewing Pane in front of her. "What do you suspect these structures are being used for then?"

Leo spoke up before Neville could respond. "We'll be using the Pensieve for this." He palmed his hand over the left side of his Viewing Pane. Immediately, the center section of the rectangular table recessed to a hole approximately two feet wide. A few seconds later, an ivory-cast Pensieve rose, surrounded by faintly wisps of smoke.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "We acquired memory surveillance?"

"Correct. This was just received last night," said Leo. He took out his wand and touched the tip to his forehead. As he drew it away, a silver, wispy strand came out. He then directed the strand into the Pensieve. The rest of the Aurors took the opportunity to palm their right hands over the left side of their respective Viewing Panes.

Soon, the Aurors found their current surroundings disappearing and then they were standing inside a warehouse, milling with activity. Wooden crates were piled into one side of the structure. Near the center, several tables overcome with vials, potions, and cylinders. People who wore dark robes and masks over their faces huddled in one section and watched another as he mixed contents in another cylinder. After that, the man walked on over to an immense cauldron and slowly poured in the contents of the cylinder. Vaporous green smoke wafted from the mouth of the cauldron as the liquid bubbled more violently.

"Hurry up with that batch and take it to the condenser!" someone barked. "We have to three more cauldrons to go through!"

The Aurors turned to face the source and found themselves looking at Anton Doholov, their target. Doholov walked over to a corner where bags containing powdery white material were piled high. One by one, they were being carted off into the crates and then sealed off.

"That's a lot…" Ron managed weakly at the sight. Without warning, the Aurors found themselves pulled back and standing once again inside the conference room. The memory surveillance was suddenly cut short. "Bloody hell! That was quick!"

Neville struck some keys on his keyboard as the rest of the Aurors retook their seats. "The footage was taken last night just as you were busy with your operation to capture Henchley. As you can see, the insides have been transformed into factories of some sort, developing what we suspect to be the enhancing drug."

"Whose memory is this?" inquired Dean.

"The same DMLE agent mentioned earlier," replied Leo. "He secured the memory and forwarded it to DMLE who then forwarded it to me this morning."

"Should I ask what has happened to him since then?" asked Hermione.

Leo stood up. "Our mole, unfortunately, was compromised and captured by Doholov's men soon after this. DMLE has tried to retrieve him several times but with no luck. They have since informed me that they now presume the agent to be dead."

"When do you want us to move?" asked Hermione.

"Just after nightfall." Leo swept his gaze across the table. "I want this operation to go off without a hitch. If Voldermort is indeed amassing vast amounts of the amplifying drug, this can mean bad news for the Magical World. Capture Doholov tonight, and if we're lucky, he might get us one step closer to finally getting Voldermort. I know that this is such short notice after operation last night but time is not on our side."

"Ron, get together with Dean and decide on how to setup the barriers for tonight. We're going to need big ones for this. Draco, meet me and Luna in the War Room so we can prepare the Orb Flasks and _Ferrium_ wands. Neville, can you have the comlinks ready and re-adjusted in cloaking frequency? I have a feeling they'd have scrambler wards around the place," outlined Hermione. She turned to Leo. "Will we have backup?"

Leo shook his head. "Unfortunately, other divisions are spread thin and have their own operations to deal with. I'm still waiting for your new partner to arrive today. Once I get a chance to brief him, he'll be joining you."

Ron shot Hermione a confused look. "New partner?"

"We can talk about it later," said Leo. "He's someone from the international division and quite experienced. For now, concentrate on preparations for tonight's work."

-■-■-■-■-

One Hour Later…

Harry set his drink down and promptly got up. He walked himself toward the forgotten piano at the corner of the dim lit café. Tentatively, he brushed his fingertips across the white and black ivory keys, pleased at the smooth texture. He looked up to Sirius when he came into the bar.

"Still raining hard outside, huh?" Harry asked.

Sirius removed his cloak and went behind the bar. "Unfortunately. You were lucky that you came in when you did. Had yourself a bite to eat?"

"Yeah, hope you won't mind missing that sandwich from the fridge."

"Nah. So do you want me to go with you to Grimmauld? I think I heard that Leo's expecting you."

"I will later and you don't have to come with me," said Harry. "I'm not a kid anymore, Sirius."

Sirius grinned. "You're still my godson."

"_Twenty-five_ year old godson," Harry emphasized. "Anyway, mind if I play? I haven't touched a piano in months and this instrument you got here is begging to be played."

Sirius nodded his accord. "Feel free. No one's really touched it in months."

Harry sat down and pushed back the cover. He caressed the ivory keys as he set his hands, then finally he started on a tune.

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganin.

-■-■-■-■-

As soon as Hermione entered the café, she heard the somber, yet beautiful sound coming from the rarely touched piano. She walked into the bar and was mildly surprised to see a dark-haired man bent over, skillfully using the instrument at the dark corner.

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganin, she recognized.

"I wasn't expecting to see you tonight." Sirius's remarked from the bar.

Hermione noted that the man at that piano didn't even pause to recognize her presence. She turned and faced Sirius. "I'm surprised that you actually have a customer."

Sirius shifted his eyes to Harry, then back to Hermione. "What brings you here tonight?"

Hermione took a seat at the corner of the bar. "A quick drink."

Sirius reached for a glass underneath the counter. "That's all?" His voice dropped. "Another late night then, I assume?" He filled the glass with some tonic and slid it down the counter to Hermione.

"Very." Hermione took a sip. "Look, Leo mentioned that there's someone coming from Hogwarts. Know anything about that?"

Sirius fought off the urge to look at Harry, who has now moved on to another classical tune. "Hm… What of it?"

Hermione lowered her voice to a whisper, wary of the customer by the piano. "Harry Potter. Heard of him?"

Sirius' lips thinned.

"Quite skilled from the manifest I read," Hermione started, not waiting for Sirius to reply. "I've heard of his name from several high profile cases. But for some reason, up until today, he's never really worked in London. Vodim's tagging him now as Connor's replacement."

Sirius grabbed rag and wiped the counter. "Your new partner then, huh?"

"Right. Well, if I really had any say in it, I'd rather have none. I've been fine without one for six months." Hermione finished her drink. "It wasn't an issue during that time and I've still got my team to rely on."

"Trust issues?"

Hermione gave Sirius a sharp look. "I'm fine without a partner. Connor's actions have nothing to do with this."

Sirius reached for Hermione's glass. "Leo doesn't seem to think so. Besides, give him a chance. You might enjoy working with a partner again. Merlin knows that you and Connor where quite a tea—"

"Stop. Don't go there," Hermione cut him off. "He betrayed me, betrayed the DMLE. Traitors don't deserve to be remembered like that."

"Touché." Sirius tipped her glass. "Another one?"

Hermione shook her head and got up. "No. I just needed a quick talk with you to see if you had information. Here's for the drink." She took out some money. "And here's some extra for your music man. He plays good. You'd do well here if you hire him to play full-time. Merlin knows how drab it is in here with just you to listen to."

Sirius's fought off a grin. "I seriously doubt he'd have the chance to work here much but I'll take your suggestion into consideration." He regarded Harry again. "Good luck tonight, Hermione."

"Thanks, Sirius. I'll see you tomorrow night." Hermione glanced at the piano man one more time and then she left.

Sirius realized that Harry stopped playing the moment the door swung closed. "You heard, didn't you?"

Harry looked up with unreadable eyes. "That's Granger, isn't it?"

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, your new partner. You two are quite alike. You both have trust issues with partners."

The raven-haired man gave Sirius a blank look. "I have no such issues. Dumbledore sent me here because he thought they needed my help."

"Well, considering all the activity in London as of late, they would definitely need more of it. Not that I think Hermione's team is weak," Sirius paused. "It's more like the closer we get to Voldermort, the more they'll have on their plate."

Harry looked outside. "Connor Dolan. Her former partner… and I'm guessing not just on the professional level?"

"He had us all fooled. Her most of all," Sirius sighed. "Don't let her issues get to you, Harry. She's a good partner to work with."

"Sounds like you've worked with her for awhile now," Harry remarked. "Insider info?"

"Here and there, just some… Enough, if you know what I mean?" said Sirius.

"And here I thought you'd retired completely," Harry joked. "Can't get it out form your blood completely, can you?"

"Well, I don't have the stamina for it anymore but my network is still intact."

"Old habits die hard."

"Point taken," Sirius said. "Anyhow, will you be going to meet with Leo now? They're preparing an operation tonight against Doholov by the West India Docks. They're going to need help."

Harry stared off in space for a moment. "Let me go talk to Dumbledore first. There's something I need to check on. After that, I'll go to Grimmauld."

**-■-■-TBC-■-■-**

UL: 12/06/2005


End file.
